Automatic lifting windlass



Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,626 P. GAUTHIER AuTomnc 'LIFTING WINDLASS Filed June 21 192 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12 1926.

P. GAUTHIER QUTOMATIC LIFTING WINDLASS 3 Sheets-:Shee'k. 2

File d June 1924 fig? I Vetf 1' .2260] 4:2 u/ZZJ B Jan. 12 1926. v 1,569,626

P. GAUTHIER AUTOMATIC LI FTING WI NDLASS Filed June 21 192 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 z nve far Patented Jan. 12, 1926 UNIIlTE1ST.AIT1'- ..,SIi PATENT osricni A PAUL eAUrrHrnn; or coonnrivom, FRANCE.

AUTOMATIC Lirrnve WINIDLASS. v

. Application filed June 21,1924. Serial no, 721,538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -PAUL GAUTHIER, a citizen of theltepublic of France, residing at Courbevoie, Seine, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Lifting Windlasses, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to automatic lifting devices orwindlasses, the chaarcteristic features of which are: 1. The clutch is thrown into operation automatically on the ascent of the load and on its descent by means of a single lever.

Theclutch is thrown out of; operation automatically on the ascent or descent of the load, or during one of'these two motions only, after a fixed travel or stroke, and a safely device is provided to prevent the clutch from being thrown into operation for the ascent or descent of the load as the case may be. 7

3; The automatic throwing out of action of the clutch on the descent of the load when 7 the latter encounters any kind of obstacle which reduces the tension of the cable below a given point.

4. The automatic return of the cable to its uppermost position'on being freed from its load; .7 J I 5. Asafety device which prevents the cable being operated without operating the lever and which, when the Windlass is. mounted on a truck, prevents operation of the cable while the vehicle is in motion The accompanying drawings show what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment of this invention; Figure 1 being a.

plan view of the mechanism and' Fig. 2a side, elevation thereof, the casing being shown in section in both figures, while Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views of the operatingv worm and the drum.

The Windlass according to this invention is chiefly composed of a casing I closed by a lid or cover (not shown) and having journaled in it a horizontal shaft 2 to which is fixed aidrum 2 whereon the cable 3 is wound.

I j The drum 2 carries on its exterior a toothed wheel or worm gear 4: meshing with an endless screw or worm 5'capable of being shifted in a lateral direction along a shaft 6 perpendicular to the drum shaft 2".

' The drum shaft is provided with toothed pinion'imeshing withv a gear 8, the shaft bottom wall of the casing 1.

9 of which is fixed to the casing'l, said gear carrying adjacent its periphery a projection The shaft- 6 extends upwardly through.

asleeve 11, the lower end 11 of which forms i 5 in one direction; movement thereof in the opposite direction being limited On the upper part of the sleeve? 11 are fastened spaced upperand lower gears 34v wand 33 which mesh, respectively, with two other gears '36 and 35' loosely mounted on a shaft 37. The latter gears have clutch by the .a stop to limitthe movement of the worm i teeth formed on their confronting inner faces for alternative engagement by an intermediate clutch sleeve 12 which is toothed at opposite ends, as shown, and is adapted to be moved. in either directionalong shaft 37 by a shifting lever or yoke 13 actuated by the rod 15 that sets the Windlass in motion; the supporting shaft or pivot 14 of the yoke being mounted in; a bearing 14 rigidly secured to the casing. The clutch sleeve 12 is keyed to shaft 37 whichilatter may berotated in any desired manner; the

" construction illustrated embodying; a drive" shaft 16 anda transmission"connection comprising toothed wheels17 and 18. or the like.-

At a suitable point on the cover (not shown) of the casing, there is mounted a stud or pivot 20 whereon' is centrally fulcrumed a lever 19; havinga link 19 pivoted to one endthereof; theother endof the lever being formed with an eye 21' to 'receive, the knuckle 21 provided on the adjacent'end of, a second lever 22- which is fulcrumed on a stud23 fixed to the cas The foot2e of lever--22- is, adapted mg. to be op'erati-vely engaged at the proper timesby the finger or projection 10 on gear 8. Astirrup 25*, also fixed to the casing, holds the worm 5v in its inoperative position (in which it is disconnected from worm mechanism does not correspond to the ascent of the load. a

'wheel 4). after the descent of theload when the direction of rotation of the reversing is fastened to a member 27 secured. to thev I casing while its otherend is fastenedat 28' to .the drum hub, the arrangement. of this spring being such that its tension is exerted during the downward movement of the.

load. Finally, a spring 29 wound around the shaft 6, constantly presses the worm 5 against stirrup 25 so that when the movement of rotation corresponding to theascent of the load takes place, the worm is forced to move toward wheel 4, whereas in the other direction of rotation it merely turns idl 'llhe operation is substantially as follows:

1 By moving the rod 15 into .the position corresponding to ascent, the yoke 13 isshifted to engage the clutch sleeve 12 with the proper gear which, in this instance, is the upper gear 36, the consequent rotatum of which is transmitted to shaft fi' with the result that the engagement of the threads of worm 5 with stirrup 25 causes said worm to move in the direction indicated by the arrow 30 (i. e. upward). The worm is thereby engaged with worm wheel 1, continues its movement until it reaches stop 11 and at that moment commences to rotate drum 2 which thus effects the ascent of the load. As the drum turns, its pinion 7 rotates gear 8, and the finger 10 on saidgear is caused to strike against the foot 24: of lever 22 after a predetermined length of cable has been wound up which can be regulated as will be apparent. This contact of finger 10 with lever 22 serves to rock the latter, such rocking movement being transmitted to lever 19 and thence to link 19, whereby yoke 13 and clutch sleeve 12 are broughtback to neutral position, said sleeve thus being disengaged from gear36 and the hoisting of the load terminated. No mistake in the working of the Windlass can occur, as the position of finger l0 prevents the rod 15 from being operated again in the direction for hoisting, so that the load is thus held at this moment by the non-reversibility of the worm 5.

To unship a load, the rod 15 is moved in the direction for descent and the yoke 13 then brings clutch sleeve 12 into engagement with gear 35, whereby shaft 6 and worm 5 are caused to rotate in the opposite direction from that previously described. The tension of cable 3 holds worm 5 against stop 11, however, and causes it to actuate worm wheel .4 and drum 2 to drop the lead; and since the direction of rotation of said drum is the reverse of its former rotation, the gear 8 will likewise be reversed and finger 10 will move away from the lever foot 24. As soon as the tension of the cabte diminishes and falls below a predetermined limit, the worm will no longer be held against stop 11 by wheel 4. but will be caused. to move downward along shaft =6, being guided in its movement by said wheel which is stationary and actionless at that time, and passes over stirrup 25 which holds it against the casing 1 so long as the clutch sleeve 12 rotates in the direction of descent or is stopped. stoppage may, however, be

neutral position, or (2) automatically after a predetermined movement of finger 10 which, on having substantially completed one revolution with gear 8, acts as it does on the ascent of the load and forms a safety device which precludes all mistakes in working when the load descends.

After the load has been unshipped,=the

spring 26, which has been tensloned during the descent of the load, automatically returns the cable to its upper position, the drum 2 being at this moment disconnected from the operating worm. The cable can thenbe brought back to its lower position by hand, during which action the said spring is tensioned; and in order to prevent finger 10 from operating the clutch sleeve in the reverse direction when the cable is unwound to the predetermined limit. and thus causing it to beimmediately wound up again, a stop 81 fixed to the casing 1 is caused to be engaged by a second linger 32 on gear 8, whereby the said gear is held against movement.

hen the Windlass is used on atruck,

means may be provided for preventing the operation of the Windlass even if the starting rod 15 be actuated.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that no limitative action is imposed thereby excepting as may be determined by the scope of the append ed claims.

'I claim as my invention: 1. A Windlass, comprising a Winding drum, :a drive shaft, a wormgearfor rotating said drum slidable axially on said. shaft and rotating therewith, means for limiting the sliding movement of the worm in both directions, a clutch device for controlling the direction of rotation of the drive shaft and including a movable clutch sleeve, and an operating element for shifting said sleeve in either direction.

2. A Windlass, comprising a .winding drum, a drive shaft, a worm gear for rotating said drum slidable axially on said shaft and rotating therewith, means for limiting the sliding movement of the worm inboth directions, a clutch device for controlling the direction of rotation of the drive shaft and including a movable clutch sleeve, an operating element for shifting said sleeve in either direction, a fixed :element with which the worm is engaged at a predetermined point in its movement on the i ing said drum slidable axially on said shaft and rotating therewith, means for limiting the sliding movement of the worm in both directions, a clutch device for controlling the direction of rotation of the drive shaft and including a movable clutch sleeve, an operating element for shifting said sleeve in either direction, a worm wheel fixed to said drum to rotate therewith and immediately engaged by the worm, and a spring engaged with said drum to return the same and the worm Wheel to normal position and to hold the Worm in its upper. position' 4:. A Windlass, comprising a winding drum, a drive shaft, a worm gear for ro tating said drum slidable axially on said shaft and rotating therewith, means for limiting the sliding movement of the worm in both directions, a clutchdevice for controlling the direction of rotation of the drive shaft and including a movable clutch sleeve, an operating element for shifting said sleeve in either direction, a worm wheel fixed to said drum to rotate therewith and immediately engaged by the worm, a spring engaged with said drum to return the same and the worm wheel to normal position and to hold the worm in-its upper position, a fixed element with which the worm is engaged at a predetermined point in its movement on the shaft, and a spring for moving said worm in one direction.

5. A Windlass, comprising a winding drum, a drive shaft, a Worm gear for rotating said drum slidable axially on said shaft,

a clutch device for controlling the direction of rotation of the drive shaft and including a shiftable clutch sleeve, a clutch shifter engaging said sleeve, and means actuatedby the rotation of the drum for automatically operating the clutch shifter to I move the clutch sleeve to neutral position.

6. A Windlass, according to claim 5, in which the automatic operating means comprise a pinion driven by the drum and proshaft for rotating the drum, a gear driven, by said drum and provided with a projection, and a fixed stop cooperative with said projection to arrest the rotation of said gear.

In testimony whereof I affix my sigilature.

PAUL GAUTHIER. 

